File-box.



W. J. KENNEDY.

FILE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 1915.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

@FFIQE.

WILLIAM J. KENNEDY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FILE-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22,1916.

Application filed April 19, 1915. Serial m. 22,309.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in File-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had'to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relatesto a sheet metal receptacle particularly :adapted for use as a file-box, one of the objects being to produce a strong and simple file-box made of thin sheet metal. By forming the box of thin sheet metal, I produce a very light and in,- expensive structure, and the required strength is obtained by folding certain parts of the thin sheet metal. The invention also includes certain specific details of construction, and certain combinations of elements which will be hereinafter described. I

Figure I is a perspective view of my filebox, showing the closure members in their open positions. Fig. II is a perspective view showing the 'closuresin their closed positions. Fig. III isan enlarged transverse section taken on line III-III, Fig. II, the middle portion of the box being broken away. Fig. IV is a section on line IV-IV, Fig. III, showing the manner of interlocking the rear wall with a side wall of the box. Fig. V is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the top wall, the hinge member interlocked with said top wall, and a portion of a side wall. Fig. VI is a-sec tion taken on line VI-VI, Fig. V. Fig. VII is a section on line VII--VII, Fig. V. Fig. VIII is a section on line VIII, Fig. II.

The body of the box I have shown comprises a topwall 1, a rear wall 2, a bottom wall 3, and a pair of side walls 4. The top, rear and bottom walls, designated 1, 2 and 3, respectively, are preferably formed of a single sheet of metal, and the side walls are secured to said single sheet of metal. The margins of this single sheet of metal are folded outwardly and backwardly to provide flanges 6, 7 and 8. The top margins of the side walls 4 are folded over the top Wall 1 to provide U-shaped members 9 which re ceive the flanges 6 of said top wall, as shown most clearly in Fig. III. The lower margins of the side walls 4 are folded under the bottom of the box to provide U-shaped members 10 which receive the flanges 8 on the inforce the structure.

bottom wall 3; and therear margins of the side walls are folded in a similar manner to produce the U-shaped members 11 which interlock with the'flanges 7. ,It will be noted that the flanges 6, 7 and 8 are formed integral with the single sheet of metal, which constitutes the walls 1, 2 and 3, and that the U-shaped members 9, 10 and 11 are formed integral with the side walls 4. Byfolding and flanging the metal in the manner shown and described, I securely unite the box walls and at the same time very materially re- Therefore, the box body may be made of very thin sheet metal.

The side walls 4 are provided with vertical front edges 12, and inclined upper edges 13 which extend from the vertical edges 12' to the top wall of the box body. These edges, or margins, 12 and 13 are reinforced by folding the metal backwardly as shown most clearly in Fig. VII. The front margins of the side walls 4 are effect at 14 and the inclinedv upper margins of said walls are offset at 15. I

16 designates a front closure member hinged at its lower end to the bottom wall 3,

and provided with flanges 17 adapted to overlap the offset vertical margins of walls 4.

18 designates an upperclosure member hinged to the front edge of the top wall 1 and provided with a depending front flange 19 and triangular side flanges20. When the closures occupy their closed positions (Fig. II) the flange 19 overlaps the front closure 16 to retain the latter in its closed position, and the triangular side flanges 20 overlap and engage the inclined edges 13 at the side walls 4.

The front margin of the top, wall 1 is folded downwardly and backwardly, Fig. V, to produce a flange 21 which lies within the box body. A hinge member 22, extending across the box, is folded to provide a U-shaped member 22' which interlocks with flange 21. The upper closure 18 is pivotally connected to the hinge member 22. By fold across the box body vided withtop,

and inclined upper and provided with a which interlocks with U-shaped portion 27 VIII. The

the flange 25, as shown in Fig.

ahinge member 26 serves as means for reinforcing the lower portion of the box.

28 designates a hinge pin connecting the front closure 16 to the hinge member 26. Y My-file-box' ispreferably in the form of adrawer adapted to be associated with a number of similar filing-boxes, and it is preferably provided with a flexible pull strap 29, Fig. '11. This pull strap 29 is preferably a loop which surrounds the hinge pin 28. I

30 designates a card receiving member secured to the upper closure 18, see Fig. 11.

I claim: :1 I

' 1.- Asheet metal box having a body probottom, sideand rear walls, the side walls having vertical front edges said vertical front edgesto the top wall, a-

- triangular side itical front'edges of the side walls bar to retain front edges of said single sheet of metal.

front closure member hinged atits lower .end to said body and ada ted to engage said vertical ,front' edges, an an upper closure member hingedto the front edge: of. said top wall, said upper closure mem I r having a depending front flange adapted to overlap said front closure member to retain the latter in its closed position and also having flanges adapted to overlap the inclined upper edges of said side walls.

2. A sheet metal box having a body provided with top, side and rear walls, the side walls having vertical front edges'and inclined upper edges extending from said verto the top wall, said edges ure members a front closure member hmged at its lower end to,saidbody and provided. with flanges adaptedto overlap the offset verticalfront edges of the side walls, and an, upper closure member hinged to the front edgevof said top wall, said'upper closure member having a depending front flange adapted to overlap said front closure memtlie latter in its closed position, said upper closure member also having triangular side flanges adapted to overlap the offset upper edges of said side walls.

3. Afilebox having top, bottom' and'rear wallsformed of a single sheetof metal, side walls having their top, bottom and rear margins interlocked with said single sheet of metal, and closure members hinged to the 4:. A file-box comprising a sheet metal body open at one end, the front margin of 'the top-wall of said body being folded backwardly, a sheet metal hinge member'interlocked with the folded portion of said top wall, and a closure pivotally connected to said hinge member:

. 5. A file-box having a sheet metal body which is open at its front end, the front maredges extending from being offset to receive 'clos- "walls, the front margin 0 i of the top will of said body being folded downwardly. and backwardly, a sheet metal hinge member extending across said top wall and interlocked structure, and a closure pivoted to said hinge the bottom wall being folded downwardly with the folded portion thereof, so as to reinforce the sheet metal.

and backwardly to lie below the body, a

lower hinge member extending across the bottom of 'said body and interlocked with the folded portion of said bottom wall, an

upper hinge member extending across said body and interlocked with the folded portion of said top wall, a closure pivotally connected to said lower hinge member, a second closure pivotally connected to. the upper hingeinember and adapted to overlap the first mentioned closure to retain it in its closed position.

7 A sheet metal box comprising abody having top, bottom and rear walls, said walls being having its side margins folded backwardly,

. side walls having folded margins which mterloek with the folded portions of said single sheet of metal so as to reinforce the corners of provided with vertical front edges and inclined top edges extending from said vertical jfront edges to the top wall, said edges being folded to reinforce the structure,the front margin of the bottom-wall being folded backwardly, a sheet metal hinge member extending across said bottom wall and interlocked with said folded front margin, a front closure member pivoted at its lower end to said sheet metal hinge member, said front closure member being adapted to engage the vertical front ed es of said side said to wall the box body, said side walls being formed of a single sheet of metal being fdlded backwardly, a sheet meta hinge member folded to interlock with the folded portion of said ,top wall, and an upper closure member pivoted to the last mentioned hinge member and adapted to overlap sai front closure member to, retain the later in its closed position.

8. A sheet metal file-boxin the form ofa drawer having a transverse hin e pin at the front endof its bottom wall, a ont closure fitted to said hinge pin, and a flexible pull.

strapsecured to said hinge pin.

9. A file-box in the form of a drawer havmg a sheet metal body provided with a hinge pin at the front edge-of its bottom wall, a front closure fitted to said hinge pin, an upper closure adapted to overlap the upper edge of said front closure, and a'flexible pull member secured near said hinge pin.

10. A file-box having a body provided with top, bottom and rear walls, side walls tom wall and adapted to engage said vertifolded to interlock with said top, bottom cal front edges, and an upper closure hinged 10 and rear walls, said side walls having verto the top wall and adapted to overlap said tical front edges and inclined top edges exfront closure, said upper closure bein pro- 5 tending from said .vertical front edges to vided with triangular side flanges a apted the top wall, the metal being folded'to reto engage the inclined top edges of saidside inforce said vertical front edges and inclined Walls. top edges, a front closure hinged to the bot- WILLIAM J. KENNEDY. 

